ROVERS FANZ VIEW COLUMN
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It's been a pretty good week for Rovers as the team got off to a great start at Scunthorpe before going close against a decent Brighton side in the Cup. We had not won away on the opening day of the season since 1995, but nevertheless I was quietly confident that we would do well, seeing as our record against the Iron suggested that we were a bit of a bogey team for them. And so it proved. Adam Barrett plopped in a header after just a quarter of an hour, slightly against the run of play in my eyes, and that goal seemed to throw the home side off balance. Scunthorpe looked a tidy outfit in spraying the ball about the midfield, but there was no end product to be seen as Barrett and his new partner Christian Edwards mopped up everything all afternoon. Even the penalty was dubious, as their winger Matt Sparrow was halfway into his dive when the ball came to him. Perhaps Ijah Anderson could have let him finish his acrobatics before lunging in for the ball, but it was the only way Scunny were going to equalise. But while we were controlling their threat at one end, the Rovers attack was equally under the thumb at the other. Junior Agogo struggled a bit, and maybe felt the effects of the searing heat more than most, but his link up play was sound and he played in the wide players a few times with some neat passes. Loan signing Calum Willock eventually came on to pep up the front line and immediately caused problems with his direct running, forcing a corner after one forty yard dash. Bringing another striker into the squad was a necessity because with Andy Rammell on the treatment table, there is absolutely no attacking cover apart from within the youth team. The decision to let Dave Gilroy go to Forest Green for a month was a strange one, particularly when he could have got a game at Glanford Park, and Willock is bound to be costing the club a half-decent wage coming from Premiership Fulham. However, it was not Willock but another sub who eventually won the game - none other than the former Scunny hero Lee Hodges. It is amazing how many times ex-players come back to haunt their former clubs, and even though he was only given 13 minutes to change the game, there was still an uncanny feeling that he could do it when his number flashed up on the board. Willock tangled with the goalkeeper as a low Danny Boxall cross caused havoc, and there was the little man to slot home the clincher. The heady heights of joint-sixth position was the result of our efforts, although admittedly it is a little early to be pencilling in a play-off place for next May. Those fans unable to reach Lincolnshire on the weekend got their first competitive glimpse of the Gas on Tuesday night as Brighton came to the Mem in the newly named Carling Cup. Again we defended well, and I am pleasantly surprised by the improvement that has been made in our rearguard since the pre-season debacle against Preston. The match was only decided by a spectacular overhead kick, and let us not forget that Brighton were Second Division champions just two years ago, and almost stayed in the First last season. That makes it two difficult opponents that we have faced so far, so I was rather taken aback by Ray Graydon's public criticism of Junior Agogo in the week. Surely it will take a bit of time for him to find his feet at this higher level, and coupled with the pressure of living up to a six-figure transfer fee, this is hardly the sort of encouragement he needs at the moment. Maybe this is a dose of reverse psychology from the manager to give him a kick up the backside, but on the other hand it could serve to cut short the patience of the fans and get them on Agogo's back prematurely. Graydon's handling of the media is far from perfect, and perhaps on this one he could have spoken to Junior behind closed doors. He is clearly a talented striker, but it takes every player a while to acclimatise and two games is hardly a suitable marker for his abilities. The last thing we want is for him to fall by the wayside because his confidence has been shot to pieces. Like Jason Roberts five years ago, it could be that his first goal will make all the difference.
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